Pure: Cherry Cashew Bar

This bar is made with ingredients that are USDA Organic, raw, vegan, and gluten free, which helps make it live up to its “for all people” tag line. There’s a pleasant base of date and almond flavor to the mix, which has been sweetened with agave and has a slight crunch from small chunks of walnuts throughout. The cherry flavor is subtle, adding a nice tart flavor to the otherwise earthy tasting bar. We’re definitely pleased to see that they didn’t make it too “fruity” tasting. Nutritionally, this 1.7 ounce bar packs a fair amount in, including 400mg of omega 3, 4g of organic fiber, 6g and protein, 200 calories, 9g of fat, and vitamins and minerals. Packaging has a relatively simple style of presentation to it, with a white wrapper that’s decorated with a yellow illustration of a female face. It’s an appealing design that has a definite vibe of health and nutrition to it. The rest of the wrapper has a lot of text on it, but in this case, it all logically fits together as opposed to creating clutter. Overall, an exceptional tasting bar that delivers the perfect balance of flavor and nutrition.

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Bora Bora Organic Snack Bar: Almond Sunflower

The Almond Sunflower variety of the Bora Bora Organic Snack Bar line is an extremely enjoyable bar. It’s made with only a few simple ingredients, including raisins, nuts, seeds, rice, agave syrup, and brown rice syrup and it’s certified organic. From a flavor point of view, the product actually has a lot more peanut flavor than it does almond, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless. That’s followed by a touch of salt, some sweetness from the brown rice and agave sweeteners, and a fair amount of crunch from the nuts and seeds. Wellements’ effort is extremely well executed, with just the right amount of sweet & savory as well as a nice balance of chew & crunch. Nutritionally, the bar has 180 calories,, 2g of fiber, 5g of protein, iron, and calcium. Lastly, there’s the packaging, which is appealing and lets you get a good look at the bar before you open it. Overall, a very palatable and nourishing bar that looks great to boot.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Bobo’s Oat Bars: Original

The “Original” Bobo’s Oat Bar flavor is a soft and chewy bar that delivers a homemade, rolled oat flavor. It’s lightly sweetened with brown rice syrup, which also helps on the energy front, and the bar has a modest 180 calories and 6g of fat. The chewy consistency is pleasing to eat, although the bar is somewhat crumbly as the bar has minimal ingredients that bind it all together. This makes eating it on the go somewhat difficult as crumbs will certainly fall. Packaging is clean and attractive, with that homegrown look that we’ve come to love. Worth a try, but honestly, Bobo’s flavored bars are much more enjoyable.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Raw Revolution: Cashew & Agave Nectar

If you’re like us and you subscribe to the belief that raw food is better for you than processed food, then this is a bar that’s worth checking out. Made with only a handful of ingredients (cashew, date, agave nectar, almond, sprouted flax seed), this bar delivers “raw” flavor that’s pleasant and satisfying to eat. The flavor starts out with a light (compared to other bars) date flavor that’s followed with notes of almond and cashew. Bear in mind, the taste of raw nuts is different than that of roasted, so this will likely taste somewhat different than you are expecting. The bar is, as the name suggests, sweetened with agave nectar, which gives it a subtle honey like sweetness and also helps bind this soft and chewy bar together. Packaging is hip and functional, with a cool looking logo that’s tries to make “crunchy” into something that’s fun. Overall, a superbly executed product that delivers great taste and nutrition using only raw ingredients.

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

18 Rabbits: Cheeky Cherry Chocolate

Using a very soft granola base that’s heavy on the oats, 18 Rabbits’ Cheeky Cherry Chocolate is certainly a bar that’s easy on the jaw. The bar has a decent amount of sweetness, thanks to the addition of a bevy of sweeteners that have been used sparingly, including maple syrup, honey, and tapioca syrup. It’s a certified organic, wheat free formulation that delivers 4g of protein and 4g of fiber. The cherries and chocolate are definitely secondary flavors, but we felt as though a bit more cherries would make this bar even better. Chocolate adds to the finish, adding just a drop of indulgent flavor to this healthy tasting bar. Packaging is attractive and polished, with time clearly spent crafting and placing the elements that are on the front of the label. A viewing window is a plus as well. Overall, a very enjoyable bar.

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Gnu Foods: Orange Cranberry Bar

This product has a very pleasant orange and cranberry flavor, with a soft and chewy base of baked flour, oats, and bran.  It’s a nice balance of grain flavors and fruit, and we certainly appreciate the product’s massive dose of fiber (12g).  That’s especially impressive for a bar that has only 130 calories and 3 grams of fat.  The only downside to this bar is the use of orange flavoring, which undermines the bar’s wholesome feeling and leaves a lingering taste behind.  Otherwise, the bar has added apples, plums, rice, fruit juice (for sweetener), chicory root fiber, and, of course, Gnu Foods’ proprietary “Gnu High Fiber Blend.”  Packaging is attractive and wholesome, although not having a view into the bar certainly makes this a bit of a gamble.  Overall, it’s a good bar, but definitely not our favorite of the brand.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

The Simply Bar: Peanut Butter Chocolate

Designed to be a low glycemic index (GI) bar that has more protein per gram than any other bar on the market, The Simply Bar’s Peanut Butter Chocolate bar delivers solid nutrition and great flavor.  Using a base of soy crisps, the bar has a light and airy body with a light crackle to the finish.  There’s a decent amount of chocolate and peanut butter flavor to this gluten-free vegan bar, but it’s not too much that the bar eats like a piece of candy.  Plus, the massive dose of protein (16g) doesn’t appear to impact the flavor at all.  Finally, the bar is low GI thanks to the use of agave nectar and brown rice syrup as the bar’s sweeteners. On the outside, the bar has a minimalist design that relies on the appetizing appearance of the bar itself to sell the bar.  It’s clean, attractive, and simple, which firts well with something that’s named The Simply Bar. Overall, an extremely enjoyable bar that delivers the full package: taste, nutrition, and appearance.

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars